The Blog of the Mid-Atlantic Regional Archives Conference

MARAC/NEA Spring 2015: The [Snow] Revolution Continues

Boston is going all out to make sure we feel welcome. Archives and records management are practically taking over the city!

Records Management: Most of you are probably aware that Boston has had a wicked lot (technical term, not yet added to the SAA Dictionary) of snow this winter. As of this writing, they have accumulated 96 inches, making it the second snowiest on record. For those of you in DC, take a trip over to the American History Museum to remind yourself how tall Julia Child was. Ninety-six inches of snow equals 1.3 Julia Childs!

Oral History from the archives: Streets in South Boston have temporarily been changed to one-way. And while we’re talking about Southie, check out this video regarding a time honored tradition during periods with less snow.

This is all a long way of saying, prepare for cold; the type of outdoor weather that makes your indoor archives feel warm and cozy. It is very likely there will still be snow, and therefore likely to be duck boot (though probably tough to find a pair) rather than duck boat weather. Travel within the city may take longer than it did the last time you visited. Boston’s public transportation system, the MBTA or “T,” has particularly suffered from this year’s snow. Service has shut down on several occasions, and is not expected to be fully functional until sometime in March.

But don’t let this stop you! There are still so many great, indoor places to visit (upcoming blog posts will highlight local attractions). Besides, you will be having such a great time at the joint meeting, you won’t even notice the weather.

Another exciting, not weather-related, aspect of this conference is that we have over 500 people registered. This does mean that rooms will fill up quickly. Plan to arrive early for all events. If you can’t find a seat, take a break and visit the vendors, socialize, or enjoy Boston.

On behalf of the Local Arrangements Committee, we look forward to seeing you in Boston!

About MARAC

The Mid-Atlantic Regional Archives Conference (MARAC) is a professional organization for archivists who live and work in the states of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, and West Virginia, and in the District of Columbia.